Cartulis celebrates 15th anniversary with landmark Asia tour this month

This September, London-based collective Cartulis celebrates its 15th anniversary with two special nights in Asia, stopping in Tokyo and Seoul.

Founded in 2009, Cartulis Music began with intimate warehouse gatherings in London before moving into landmark venues like Crucifix Lane. Today, its home is FOLD, a space that reflects the collective’s deep-rooted commitment to quality sound and long-form musical journeys.

Renowned for its marathon sessions and careful curation, Cartulis has welcomed guest DJs such as BINH, Mathew Jonson, and others.

The collective also extends its identity through a family of labels—Cartulis Music, ALT, and DEL—which together form the CTRL + ALT + DEL trilogy.

On September 12, Cartulis will make its long-awaited Japan debut at WOMB in Shibuya, featuring Cartulis resident Junki Inoue and founder Unai Trotti, alongside several local artists.

Trotti reflects on the importance of this moment: “I’ve always felt a deep connection with Japan, both musically and culturally. Japan has been central to electronic music history—Roland gave us the TR-808, TR-909, TB-303, and SH-101, Korg pushed synth innovation, and the AKAI MPC revolutionised sampling and beat-making. These instruments didn’t just create sounds, they shaped entire genres and became the backbone of underground culture worldwide,” he tells Mixmag Asia.

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Trotti continues, “I’ve also been inspired by Japanese artists like Ryuichi Sakamoto, Ken Ishii—whose experimental work ‘Reference to Difference’ I still play—and DJ Masda, a close friend and true master of vinyl culture. Junki Inoue, one of Cartulis’ long-time residents, is another standout artist from Japan, shaping both the label and the sound we promote.”

One week later, on September 20, the tour heads to Ring in Seoul, a venue known for championing underground culture and vinyl-focused programming.

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“Seoul has been equally exciting. I discovered incredible local DJs there, some of whom I invited to London, and clubs like Ring Club—vinyl-only—push the format in ways I haven’t seen anywhere else. I also have a deep love for Junction, one of my favourite record shops in the world, which sadly closed recently,” Trotti shares.

With stops in both Tokyo and Seoul, the Asia tour carries the Cartulis spirit across continents, celebrating 15 years of forward-thinking electronic music while forging new connections with audiences and artists alike.

Elle Katayama is an intern writer for Mixmag Asia, follow her on Instagram.

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